Frank Warren is working on a fight between Daniel Dubois and Zhilei Zhang, according to Queensberry Promotions Dev Sahni. It’s a match I welcome because it encourages responses from the two heavyweights who fight best when the action turns and goes the distance.
Dubois has been inactive since his second stoppage against Oleksandr Usyk in July 2025 at Wembley Stadium. Usyk dropped him in the fifth round and closed out the show shortly thereafter to become the undisputed two-time champion. Dubois struggled as the jab began to land with control and his balance shifted under pressure. His team explored a route to Fabio Wardley, but that route appears to be blocked as Wardley prepares for a WBO title defense against Derek Chisora.
Zhang’s latest move
Zhang had already left. The 42-year-old was retained by Agit Kabayel in February 2025 on a Riyadh Season card. Zhang scored in the fifth, but the fight turned when Kabayel landed to the body and stopped him from working in close. Repeated injections and fatigue took their toll in the sixth. Since then, Zhang has not returned to the ring.
The special link between these two is through Joe Joyce. Zhang Joyce walked down twice and finished him off. Dubois, in contrast, was knocked down by Joyce’s jab over ten rounds in 2020, suffering a back injury after being led by straight hands. The same problem appeared against Usyk in Poland in 2023, where he was put down by another southerner.
Strength Against Strength
Both men are heavyweights who excel in the leg set and middle range trades. Dubois prefers to work behind a hard and accurate jab when he can step into shots. Zhang relies on timing and heavy hooks when the opponent faces up. The questions are obvious. Dubois can hold the form if the pressure increases and the transport is prolonged. Zhang could continue the pace past the middle rounds after a long layoff.
It’s a fight I want to see because it takes away the safety net. There are no straps to hide behind. No remote fence. Only two heavyweights need to prove that they can still fall and stay strong when the ring is small.
Click here to subscribe to our FREE newsletter
Boxing Related News:
Last updated on 01/16/2026